Almost Home
by meganb710
Summary: It's been months since the final battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione have moved on; getting jobs, moving to a flat in London and attempting to continue living life. How long will it take for things to be normal again?
1. It Was a New September

_Hermione silently pushed open the sleek black door that faced her, peering through to crack, desperate to get a glimpse of what lie on the other side. She was trying to scream but no noise was leaving her mouth. Her shoes were covered in blood, blood that was streaming from the red head laying on the floor in front of her. No, this couldn't be right…_

"Hermione! Hermione wake up! You're okay! You're okay!"

Hermione sat up, covered in sweat. She grasped her throat, it hurt like she had been screaming. She wiped tears from her eyes trying to focus on the subject in front of her.

"Ron, oh thank goodness! I just saw you, dead, you were dead!" She was shaking uncontrollably, trying to keep herself from crying she clenched the strong forearms holding her shoulders.

"I'm fine, you're okay. No one is dead."

"She okay…?"

Harry shut the door behind him, joining his two best friends on Hermione's bed. He pushed her bushy hair out of her wet eyes. "It was just a dream." He muttered, trying to calm her down. There wasn't much he could say to comfort anyone anymore, he was waking up from the same nightmares himself.

"I know. I know, it's so illogical for me to be dreaming like this still. I go to bed every night after spending all day with you both. So why are you consistently turning up dead in my head?"

"Post dramatic stress I 'spose." Ron let out a giant sigh and turned to look at the alarm clock on Hermione's bedside table. "3:14 Am, anyone fancy pancakes?"

It was October. Five months after graduation, seven months after the final battle took place at Hogwarts. Both Ron and Harry had been given positions as Aurors – well, Hermione had been offered a position as well but she declined – and were in the process of being trained at the Ministry. It wasn't easy work. They had been prepared to deal with the aftermath of the battle, finding and putting away remaining death eaters. The followers that were still dedicated to Voldemort's vision. But neither of them expected the emotional, physical and mental drain that took place day after day. They were forced to relive their worst memories in Occlumency training, pushed their bodies to the limit as they practiced unforgiveable curses, and spent hours a day studying spell theory. They only had two more weeks of training before they were released to their posts to shadow experienced Aurors.

Hermione had taken a different route, one that didn't involve working at the Ministry of Magic. She worked at the Daily Prophet. Right now she was fact checking articles, but her boss was so impressed with her ability to complete such thorough work that she was in the process of creating her own column. She wanted to continue her work with S.P.E.W. on a larger level. She was determined to free house-elves from slavery.

Both Ron and Harry were surprised when she took a job at the famous magical newspaper.

"Wait, didn't you used to despise the Daily Prophet?" Ron asked one morning, shoving his face full of cereal.

"I despised the Daily Prophet when they were writing rubbish about Harry and Dumbledore, but now I can influence the paper positively. Plus, I think I have a knack for writing that I never discovered. And it would be an excellent platform for me to continue work with S.P.E.W." Hermione then delved into a long-winded explanation about how she intended to change the lives of house elves all over the world but Harry and Ron had stopped listening.

Because all three of them were working in downtown London, they decided to rent a flat. It had been a spur of the moment decision that ensued from living at the Borrow for three weeks after graduation. Though they were all so thankful to Molly and Arthur, it was hard to see George, it was hard to watch Molly burst into tears when she thought no one was watching, to not see Arthur for days because he was tinkering in the shed out back. It was a house filled with sadness, and the trio decided that they had to try to move on. Ginny had been furious. She hated her brother for leaving her there to drown in sorrow, and she held a grudge against Harry for letting him. She hadn't even said goodbye.

It was two months since they moved out, and today the three best friends take turns waking each other up from the night terrors that haunted their minds.


	2. Does the Past Rule the Future?

"Harry, when was the last time you talked to Ginny?" Hermione questioned, dipping her finger into the leftover syrup on her plate.

Harry felt his face inflame. He hadn't spoken to, or about Ginny since they moved out of the Borrow and she slammed her door in his face so hard Mrs. Weasley had to mend his broken nose before they departed.

"Leave the bloke alone Hermione. Ginny hasn't spoken to any of us." Ron snapped. It was obviously still a touchy subject to him.

"Well I was only wondering. I was talking to Mr. Lovegood, he came to do an interview at the Daily Prophet last week, and he asked how Ginny was getting along. Apparently Luna and Ginny have become rather close within the past months." She said this with a forced casualty; Harry was sure she was testing the waters to see how much further she could continue on the topic.

"He said that Ginny had been made Quidditch Captain for the year, Harry…"

"Yeah? Brilliant." Harry rinsed his plate off and sulked back into his room, slamming the door behind him. He could hear the raised voices of his friends; Ron was obviously scolding Hermione for her insensitivity. But Harry couldn't pretend he hadn't wondered about Ginny, he couldn't act as though the information Hermione had just provided wasn't what he had been aching to hear for the past two months. He rolled over onto his pillow and screamed, as loud as he possibly could.

 _"Gin..?" Harry knocked quietly on his girlfriend's bedroom door. It was only a couple hours after Harry, Ron and Hermione had announced to The Burrow at dinner that they would be moving to a flat in London. Ginny had stormed to her room before they had a moment to explain._

 _"GO AWAY POTTER!" She roared. Harry winced, "Can you please let me in? I want to talk to you about this." Harry heard a shuffling and then the door was whipped open so hard Ginny's hair flew in front of her face. She brushed it away irritably._

 _"What?" Ginny glared, her eyes were red like she had been crying. "What could you possibly want to talk about to make this better?"_

 _"Ginny - I can't stay here, Ron can't stay here..." He trailed off lamely. Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Don't you DARE tell me what Ron can and cannot do. How do you think this makes me feel?! I lost a brother too!" Harry stared at his feet, "Gin you go back to school in two months." He stated this like it explained everything. Harry looked up, reaching to touch Ginny's hand which she slapped away._

 _"If you leave I'm done. You can't just run away from things that scare you, that hurt you. I thought you of all people would understand that." Her eyes were welling with angry tears, "I know you've lost people too Harry, that Fred - " Ginny's voice caught in her throat, " - that Fred meant something to you. But the answer is not running away. Stay here with me Harry. Stay here and come back to Hogwarts. Don't take the job at the ministry, please." It was Ginny's turn to reach out.  
_

 _Harry stepped back, out of her reach. "I have to move on." He stared at her with tired eyes. He saw pain reflected in her eyes. "Ginny, we have to move on."_

"Don't be cross with me Ronald. I'm not your mother, I'm not forcing you to do anything. And I'm certainly not here to guard your feelings when you're being insensible." Hermione broke a plate in her frustration. "Reparo" she muttered, continuing to tend to the dishes in the sink.

Ron ran a hand through his untidy mob. "Hermione, listen to me."

The seriousness in his voice alarmed her. She turned off the sink and dried her hands on the sink towel, turning to give her full attention to the red haired boy in front of her. He looked older, his freckles were fading, his eyes looked tired…like he didn't sleep much anymore. It was the first time Hermione had really looked at her friend in a long time. Her heart caught in her throat, she longed to touch him, to comfort him, to offer some type of consoling words.

"I don't want to talk about Ginny because it hurts me. Because I left my family when they needed me to stay. Because I was selfish and couldn't bear to help anyone get through this loss when I couldn't even face it. Because –" His voice trembled, Hermione started to reach out but pulled her hand back, "Because I haven't said out loud that Fred is dead. Because it was too horrible to believe. Okay? So please, just let it be." He stood up abruptly and walked back to his room, closing the door softly behind him. Hermione stood there, staring at the place on the counter where Ron's tears had fallen.

 _"_ _I can't do this." Ron pushed Hermione away from him. "I can't be with you, not now."_

 _"_ _Ron, stop. What are you talking about?" Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "We have to support each other. I can be here for you!" She insisted, extending her hand to touch Ron's arm._

 _"_ _NO! YOU CAN'T SUPPORT ME! NO ONE CAN SUPPORT ME!" he bellowed, pushing her hand away._

 _Hermione shuddered, stepping back from this stranger in front of her. Ron had never yelled at her before like that. He looked like a different person. She stepped back again, shaking her head, tears falling more rapidly._

 _"_ _You – you don't know that Ron. I just want to be here for you."_

 _"_ _MY BROTHER IS DEAD AND I'M NOT IN THE BLOODY MOOD TO NURSE YOUR FEELINGS HERMIONE! YOUR PARENTS DON'T EVEN REMEMBER YOU! HOW ARE YOU OKAY WITH JUST PRETENDING NOTHING EVER HAPPENED?!"_

 _Ron's face was getting redder by the second. It didn't take long for Harry to come bounding down the stairs._

 _"_ _Mate, what's wrong? Calm down its midnight, you're going to wake the entire house up."_

 _"_ _Too late" Ginny mumbled, opening the door across the hall. "What are you – Ronald what did you do?!" Ginny put her arms around a sobbing Hermione, pulling her into her room._

 _Before Ron could take back anything he had said Ginny had slammed her door, engulfing the only woman he ever loved._

 _"_ _Ron…" Harry started, taking a step towards his best mate._

 _Ron fell to his knees, buried his face in his hands and started sobbing uncontrollably._

It was the first day on the job as a trained Auror and Harry was surprisingly calm. He ate his cereal staring at the television in front of him. There were two more death eater captures this past weekend, McNair and Crabbe.

"Well…that's a plus I suppose. The more they catch now the less you'll have to deal with." Hermione fussed, towel drying her hair. She was in the process of getting ready for work when the TV caught her attention.

"Hermione you do realize that my entire job is catching dark wizards. Just because Voldemort is gone doesn't mean more wizards similar to him won't be trying to take over the world again." Harry retorted wisely.

She glared, shook her head and flounced back to her room to finish getting ready. Harry stood up to rinse off his bowl when something on the news caught his attention. He dropped his spoon into the sink and grabbed for the remote, turning up the volume.

"Breaking news! It was reported from an inside source that Headmistress McGonagall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has fired the current Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. How will the students learn now?!" There was a shot of a short man with no hair making his way down the long cobblestone road with the castle in the background, he looked as though he did not know he was on camera.

"Hey guys! Check this out!" Harry called to his roommates. Ron joined Harry on the couch, Hermione poked her head out of her room, in the process of braiding her hair.

"Apparently Professor Scrimage was trying to teach first years how to perform unforgivable curses. Said it would make them prepared for the years to come. McGonagall didn't trust him, he was forced in by the ministry anyways." A young boy no older than 13 was talking to the camera, grinning from ear to ear as he delivered this awkward news.

"He's not camera shy." Ron muttered under his breath.

Harry turned the volume on the TV back down as the reporter moved on to talk about the re-building of Diagon Ally.

"The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts again…" Hermione mumbled, "Did you two know about this?"

"No, I mean, I didn't. Did you?"

Harry shook his head. "I wonder if the Ministry doesn't trust McGonagall. I mean, that has to be it, right?"

Hermione finished her braid, "It means that nothing has changed. That all in all the Ministry is just a political statement. They don't do anything to ensure the safety of the population. I mean, honestly, who hires a Defense teacher who is still teaching unforgiveable curses? Shouldn't that be basic screening by now?" She bit her lip concernedly.

"It just doesn't seem logical that Kingsley would instate a teacher that McGonagall didn't approve of."

"That's just speculation." Corrected Hermione, "We don't know that for sure. That boy couldn't have been older than third year –"

" – and he was a Hufflepuff." Ron interrupted, as though that explained everything.

"Which is irrelevant…" Hermione continued, glaring at Ron, "You should try to write Luna, Harry. See if she knows anything."

"Why me?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Because you're friends with her. She likes you best anyways. And unless either of you want to write to Ginny she is our next best option." As though it was decided Hermione returned to her room to finish getting ready for work.

"Why doesn't she write Ginny if she's so concerned…" muttered Ron under his breath.

"She has…" Harry turned off the TV, "I think that's why she's been trying to get us to attempt it." He sighed heavily, "When we were in Hermione's room the other night I saw a stack of letters addressed to Ginny that had been returned, unopened."

"That explains why Pig has been gone lately."

"Yea, anyways. I think she's more upset than she's letting on. Ginny was the closest thing – besides us – Hermione had to a best friend."

Ron got quiet, he started shuffling his feet.

"Sorry, I know it's still hard to talk…about, well to talk about your family."

Ron shook his head, "You know, it is hard. It's really hard. But I was thinking after I snapped at Hermione last night…she hasn't talked to her parents because they don't remember her. How selfish am I that I can't let her suffer with me?"

Harry squeezed his best friend's shoulder. "You miss her." He said this as a statement, because he knew it was true. He'd watched the longing glances between his two best friends and knew that Hermione was too bruised to reach out to Ron again, it was going to have to be up to him to make the first move.

Ron nodded, "I'm scared because I don't know who I am anymore Harry. I don't know what I want or what I'm doing. I'm not in your shadow anymore, which means I can't hide behind you."

Harry blushed, uncomfortably embarrassed by this statement. He had never intended for Ron to be buried by his own fame, but knew that his best mate had dealt with that for the past seven years of their friendship.

"Give yourself time. Nothing has to be decided today." Harry put on his jacket, "Ready?" Ron nodded. With that, they left for their first days on the job.


	3. Moving On

"Harry, this is Thomas Biggleby. He will be the Auror you're shadowing for the next month. Ron, this is Kayla McNaster, your Auror. I expect full work ups and weekly reports over the next month from both you and your superior Auror. These next four weeks are crucial to your training. You will do exactly as you're told, exactly as you're told to do it. If I hear news about one foot being out of line, you will be immediately removed from the position. Do I make myself clear?" Kingsley Shacklebolt looked taller to Harry, as he stood there giving them a rather serious lecture.

Both Ron and Harry nodded profusely, acknowledging that they understood their directions.

"This is the last phase of your training. Neither of you are guaranteed a spot in the department. Work hard, pay attention and do as you're told, if you follow those instructions you should have no problem becoming Auror's."

Ron took off with Kayla and gave a slight thumbs up to Harry. Harry returned this gesture with a smile, waving good luck.

Harry turned to Thomas, waiting for instruction, he was talking to the Minister. A few minutes later they both walked over, looking rather serious. Harry felt himself get nervous.

"Harry, can I have a word?"

Harry followed the Minister to a cubicle outside Thomas's office.

"Is something wrong Minister?" He questioned nervously.

"Harry. I need you to promise me, that no matter what you see in the field this next month, hell – even the next few years as you develop in this career – that you will not take drastic, immeasurable actions."

Harry fought all urges to roll his eyes at his boss. "You're afraid I'll go off the deep end eh?"

"No. That's not what I'm saying." Kingsley stated, matter-of-factly. "I'm telling you that life as an Auror is nothing like you're used to. You are skilled, highly, in defense Harry. We all know it, and it's why you were offered a stab at this position. But you are careless with your own life. Though Auror's often work alone, you are part of a team. Carelessness with your own life affects that team. Do you understand?"

Something about this conversation was familiar to Harry. It reminded him of ones he would have with Professor Dumbledore. He felt his throat tighten.

"Yes sir." He muttered, staring down at his shoes.

"Good. Alright, Thomas is waiting. Good luck Harry."

And with that Kingsley was gone. Harry made his way back to Thomas's office. It was going to be a long, painful day.

"Well? How did it go?" Hermione was grabbing a slice of pizza as she drilled the two about their first days in the field.

"It was rather boring actually. Kayla spent most the day in Diagon Ally reading the Daily Prophet. Which means that's all I did as well." Ron finished his second piece and lurched for another, "And we didn't get a lunch break."

"Why Diagon Ally…? I don't imagine many dark wizards wondering around there."

Ron shrugged, "Sheseditwuzferbaghound."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, disgusted as Ron spit pizza everywhere trying to answer her with his mouth full.

"Well Thomas and I are tailing someone in a muggle town south of London, but he won't tell me who and he won't tell me why. Basically I know nothing." Harry took a drink of butterbeer as he rolled his eyes. The day was basically useless and he felt like he had learned nothing.

"ARGH!"

"What was that?!"

"Bloody hell!"

Hermione jumped up, pushing herself from the table with such force she knocked both Ron and her mugs of butterbeer over. Harry was saved as he was drinking his at the time. He mopped the mess off his face.

"What was that?"

Hermione was coming back to the kitchen with a letter in her hand. "It's for you Harry, a barn owl ran into the window." She handed Harry the letter and went to grab a towel from the sink.

"Who's it from?"

"McGonagall…" Harry said silently, hoping desperately to not open the letter and find bad news.

"Open it!" Ron exclaimed, anxiously peering over Harry's shoulder.

Harry opened the letter and read over it quickly. It was rather short.

"She wants to set up an appointment…to meet me at Hogwarts."

"What…why?" Hermione finished cleaning the butterbeer up and sat back down in her seat as Harry handed her the letter. She scanned it quickly. She handed the letter over to Ron and looked up at Harry's expectant face.

"Harry, do you think…do you think she wants to talk to you about the empty Defense position?"

Ron looked up, "No way, what would Harry know about hiring a teacher?" He scoffed, handing Harry back the letter. "She wasn't very descriptive though Mate." He continued to shovel pizza into his mouth.

Harry shook his head, "She probably just wants to check in…"

Hermione rolled her eyes, picking up her wand from the table and standing up. "Honestly Harry. Do you really think the Headmistress of Hogwarts has time to just 'stop in' and see how you're doing? On the plus side, I guess this means you won't need to write Luna."

"I guess she has a point." Ron acknowledged, watching her walk away.

"I just hope nothing is wrong."

Harry finished writing his response on the letter and returned to the window where the barn owl was waiting. "Here you go, back to Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts." He muttered, tying the letter to the creature's outstretched leg.

Harry and Ron finished cleaning up dinner and sat down to try and complete the Auror homework they had been given.

"I reckoned after school we wouldn't have any more bloody studies to do." Ron grunted, crossing out another sentence on his parchment. "Did you find the negative side effects to veriteserum yet?"

Harry shook his head, sighing and leaning back in his chair. He glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight, and Hermione had gone to bed – declining their pleas to help them – two hours ago.

"We've been at this for four hours. I'm tired and my brain hurts." Ron slammed down his quill, splattering ink all over his report. "Bloody hell." He cleaned it up with a wave of his wand and rolled up his report. "The only thing I'm missing are the negative effects. I have…positive effects, uses, ingredients, theory and examples. Why did we not pay attention during potions?" He groaned, checking the items off the list as he went. "Want to finish this tomorrow morning?"

Harry nodded mid-yawn and rolled his own report up. He topped his ink and stored his quill. "Yea I'm tired."

"So, about Hermione." Ron started cautiously, closing the books spread out on the floor in front of them.

"Yes?" Harry had his back turned to his friend but he could tell he was blushing. He continued to keep his back to Ron has he pretended to clean up his items on the couch beside him. This was going to be an awkward conversation.

"Do you think I should let her go?"

Harry had not expected this. He turned around abruptly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Ron sat down with a pile of books on his lap. "I mean I don't think I'm good for her anymore. I feel changed, different. I don't want to hold her down. Not that she's waiting for me – do you reckon she's waiting for me?" He asked, hopefully.

Harry finished putting the books away on the bookshelf in the sitting area, stalling. He didn't know how to answer this question.

"Ron. I think Hermione has been 'waiting' for you since third year. I think you've both been waiting for each other."

"Do you think I'm bad for her?"

Harry sat across from his friend, "No. I think you're one of the only people who understands what she feels. I think that going through this –" He beckoned his hand to the furnished apartment, "- together makes you good for her. I don't have all the answers mate, but I wonder if you are better to be miserable together rather than miserable apart."

Ron nodded, "Thanks," he mumbled, "What about Ginny?" He questioned, as Harry stood up to go to bed. "Would you rather be miserable with her instead of miserable without her?"

Harry sighed. "I'm not ready to talk about Ginny, Ron." And with that he shut the door to his bedroom. Harry sat awake on his bed, determined to fight the sleep that threatened to engulf him. With that sleep came the nightmares, the visions of the people who died because of him. Whenever he slept he saw Fred, Remus, Tonks, Sirius; everyone who fought a battle that they didn't need to fight, people who died when they didn't need to die. How could Ginny ever love Harry when it was his fault her brother was dead. Harry wiped the tears that fell from his eyes as his eyelids shut, as he lost the battle he was fighting and sleep enveloped him.


	4. Where You Lead, I

Hermione breathed into her hands, rubbing them together. With October came brutal winds and chilly weather. She hugged her sweater closer to her chest as she squinted, proofreading the article in front of her for the fourth time. "This is silly, and this is inaccurate" she mumbled crossing out another paragraph. She sat back to admire her work. What was once a page article was now tidbits of sentences here and there; she might as well have drawn a large "X" across the parchment.

"Granger, you have a visitor." The starkness of her boss's voice surprised her, she jumped in chair, looking over her small cubicle.

"Who?" She asked, cocking her head questioningly.

"Some tall bloke. Doesn't speak great English."

Hermione's eyes grew as she spotted her male visitor. "Viktor…" she breathed, standing up. Her hands automatically flew to her hair, patting down her messy mane. She pinched her cheeks slightly and made her way over to the lobby of the bustling building.

"Hermyninny!" Viktor grabbed her by the shoulder, kissing both of her cheeks.

Hermione stood back, blushing by this public display of affection. "You said my name correctly!" She exclaimed breathlessly.

"I've been practicing." He said, reaching out to touch her hair. "I have missed you."

Hermione felt her neck get red. "Here, let's…let's go over here." She said, dragging Viktor by the arm to a seating area with plush armchairs. "So, what are you doing here? In London? Shouldn't you be flying?"

"Well we're in London for a scrimmage tournament. We're practicing still, the season starts in a few weeks. So when we were here I knew I had to see you. I asked the Professor at Hogwarts and she told me you work here now. Why?"

"Why do I work here?" She questioned, taken aback by his bluntness. "I, well I enjoy writing." She admitted, "It's quite different to school. I've taken to it. I'm not half bad."

Viktor smiled, "You are good at all you do."

Hermione looked at her feet. She was unsure what to say.

"So, Hermione, I came to check on you."

"To check on me?"

"Yes. Because it has been seven months since the Voldemort was killed and I wanted to make sure you were okay. To make sure that you were…healing."

"I am."

"You know our school was affected as well. Not like Hogwarts, but, my friends were killed. When they joined in the battle against the Dark Lord."

Hermione reached out to pat his arm, "I know. The world was affected Viktor. Everyone was hurt."

"Did you…did your friends live?"

Hermione stared at her feet. "We lost a lot of people…a lot of really good people. I lost my parents." She looked up at Viktor, tears filling her eyes. Hermione hadn't talked to anyone about the memory charm she performed on her parents. The only people who knew were Ron and Harry.

 _"_ _You did what?!" Harry hissed, raising his side of the tent as they prepared for Bill and Fleur's wedding._

 _"_ _Harry, I couldn't leave them there after telling them where I'd gone! They would risk anything to save me…I'm their daughter. I had a chance to save their lives, and I did it. Wouldn't you have done the same thing if you had a chance to save your parents' lives?"_

 _They finished with the tent and Harry dropped his wand, stepping to grab Hermione's hand. "You're one of the bravest people I've ever met." He pulled her into an embrace, kissing her head as her tears soaked his shirt._

Viktor moved to sit next to Hermione, "I am sorry." They sat in silence for a moment before Viktor stood up. "I will let you continue to work. I wanted to see your face." He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Let me know if you ever need a friend, someone to lean on."

Hermione walked Viktor to the exit. "It was good to see you Viktor. How long are you in London?"

"Just the next few days." He shrugged, "I don't like London much. It's busy."

Hermione giggled, "That's why I like it. Hey if you are free you are welcome to stop by my flat. It's not very far from here, only three underground stops."

Viktor nodded, "I would enjoy to see your place, but I am very busy with practice. I am in trouble seeing you now. Good luck," He kissed her forehead, "I know you will do well with this job."

With that he was gone. Hermione made her way back to her cubicle, ducking a flying piece of parchment shaped like a paper airplane. She sat down at her desk and stared at the article in front of her. She re-read the last sentence she was working on at least five times before she realized she wasn't comprehending any of it. With a glance at the clock Hermione grabbed her coat and headed for the door, "I'm taking my lunch!" she waved at her boss.

She took the lift to the 18th floor – the research library.

"Can I help you?" Asked an elderly witch with a rather ornate flower sticking out of her gray hair, the lady tipped her glasses quizzically.

"Yes. Can you point me to the section on memory charms?" Hermione asked breathlessly. The woman led her through an array of books, subjects from Unforgiveable Curses to medical ailments. Finally the stopped at a shelf towards the back, "This entire shelf." The woman left as Hermione dropped her bag, took off her coat and grabbed the first reference book in front of her.


	5. The Beginning

"I wonder where Hermione is…?" Ron glanced at the clock, it was half past eight.

Harry shrugged, "I'm sure she's fine."

"Hey don't you meet with McGonagall tomorrow?"

Harry sighed, glancing at one of the many open books surrounding him. "Yes. Bloody hell look at this." Harry pointed out a photo of the mangled body of a middle-aged man in the book he was studying. "It says this guy died of pain…from the crucio curse."

"Holy hell. Look at his face."

Harry flipped the page, his stomach felt sick. "Anyways yes, I go to Hogwarts tomorrow. Are you sure you won't come? I'm dreading going."

"Absolutely not. I have so much work to do. I have an entire background to run on this guy Kayla and I are tracking, she says she doesn't believe in weekends." Ron rolled his eyes, shuffling around his own papers. "Anyways I'm afraid I'll run into Ginny and she'd curse me in the corridor."

"You and me both…" Harry muttered. It was true, he was dreading going to Hogwarts tomorrow. It was his hope that because it was the weekend most of the students would be in their house common rooms focusing on homework, too busy to be wondering what Harry Potter was doing wandering the halls of the place he once called home.

It was nine-thirty by the time Hermione burst through the front door. "I found it!" She squealed, dropped her bag on the couch and waved a piece of parchment in front of Harry's face. "Look!" She shoved it into Ron's hand.

"What is this Hermione?" His eyes scanned the first few sentences before giving up and handing it back to her.

"It is proof that you can restore the memories of someone who has been hit with a memory charm. I can do this! I can restore my parents' memories!" Hermione sat down next to Harry, looking at her roommates expectantly. "Well? What do you think?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "Hermione…Madam Pomfrey said there was no way. You saw firsthand what happened to Professor Lockhart after Ron's wand backfired."

"Yes but Harry, Madam Pomfrey said there was no way to reverse the charm. This is simply restoring their memories."

"Okay, I must be exhausted because it sounds like the exact same thing to me."

"No. Listen, this is a complicated potion, similar to the Polyjuice in the sense that you must take pieces of who the person was before their memory was tarnished. Things that defined them, you drain the essence of those items and brew that in the potion."

"How do you drain essence of items?" Harry questioned. Shutting his books for the night.

"It's very complicated," Hermione frowned, scanning the page in her hand, "but I brought home books from the library to reference. I'm going to do this. I have to do this." She said defiantly.

"Have you been researching this since we've been here?" Harry asked, taking the parchment from her.

"No, truthfully I had abandoned all hope until I saw Viktor today."

At this Ron dropped the papers he was shuffling around, "Who?"

"Viktor. He stopped by to see me at the Prophet today." Hermione answered, blushing slightly. "He was asking me how I was, how everyone was doing after…well after the battle at Hogwarts. I told him fine, we were all getting along fine, but I realized that I'm not fine. I miss my parents. I miss them every day, more than I did when I was attending Hogwarts. I know it's because I know that they don't miss me, or even remember me. I did that to them. I did that to me. Anyways I wanted to see if there was anything I could do, and there is."

"Why was Viktor visiting you?"

Harry shot Ron a warning glance.

"Because he's my friend Ron!" Hermione's voice raised slightly, "And friends check in on each other."

"Have you been in touch with him?!" Ron demanded.

"Not recently, no! But we write to each other fairly often. He said he asked Professor McGonagall where I was working. Plus it's not like it would have been hard to find since my name is on print!"

"Right. Well, sure, as soon as you're in the clear you have to run back to snogging Vikky!"

Hermione stood, her fists clenched. "Ron you are so insensitive! This is about my parents! Not about Viktor!" She snatched the paper from Harry and whipped around the couch, storming back to her room. "You know, he's the first person to ask me how I've been doing with all of this. He inspired to me to do something about my pain. Unlike either of you! Who are just moping around the house! You would do well to talk to Ginny tomorrow Harry and stop acting like a big prat!"

With that Hermione slammed her door behind her.

"Well, that's just beside the point!" Ron shouted at her closed door.

Harry stared at Ron, open mouthed. How did he get drug into this conversation? "You need to apologize to her." He said pointedly.

"Me?! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You started that fight because you can't stand Viktor Krum."

"No, I like Viktor!"

"As a Quidditch player."

"He's thickheaded."

"You're thickheaded."

The two friends glared at each other. Ron broke first, staring down at his feet embarrassedly. "I don't know what comes over me when she mentions him." Harry sighed, standing and stretching. "You love Hermione. That's what comes over you."

Harry dodged a book that was thrown at his head as he opened his bedroom door.

"I do not!"


	6. The Proposition

Harry gasped in the chilly air as he landed in front of Hogwarts. He had just apparated and felt as though his organs were about to burst. Harry put his hand up to cover his eyes, squinting in the sun. So much so that he didn't see Filch in front of him until the grumpy caretaker growled at him. "Coming in?!" Harry jumped, slipping through to opened crack in the iron rod gates that guarded the gravel drive to Hogwarts castle. Harry could feel Filch's eyes on him as they made their way to the front doors.

"Eh, had a nice summer?" Harry started politely.

Filched grunted, hobbling up the path in front of Harry. An awkward ten minutes later and they had reached the doors. Filch accompanied Harry to the entrance hall where he then fled to the dungeons. Harry sighed, he knew Filch had lost Mrs. Norris after the battle and assumed this was the reasoning behind his pleasant silence.

Harry routinely made his way to the headmast – headmistress's office. He had been right in his assumption that most students were in their common rooms. He didn't run into a single person until he arrived in front of the gargoyle staircase that led to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Erm, I don't know the password, I am just here to see Professor McGonagall."

At this the gargoyle swung open. Harry stepped on the first step and allowed the spiraling staircase to deliver him to the office door. He knocked lightly, awaiting a welcome.

"Come in."

"Hi, Professor." Harry grinned. It was a comforting sight seeing Professor McGonagall in Dumbledore's old office. She had kept almost everything the same except he noticed a couple of family photographs on her desk, including one of the Gryffindor Quidditch team after they had won the Quidditch cup Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Dumbledore's old trinkets had not moved from the last time Harry stood in the office. His eyes flew to a cabinet on his right in which a large silver basin was housed. Harry's heart ached as he remembered spending the last of his favored Professor's days in Voldemort's memories.

"Mr. Potter, how good it is to see you." Professor McGonagall embraced Harry. "You must be wondering why I've asked for a meeting with you." She stated, beckoning for Harry to take a seat in front of her desk.

"I'm curious." Harry answered.

"I will be frank, and ask this outright. As I'm sure you know our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has been let go – "

"Yea Hermione, Ron and I were wondering about that. What happened?" Harry interrupted.

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry, continue."

"Mr. Scrimage was a Ministry suggestion. To keep on good terms I permitted Mr. Scrimage to come in for a test month. In which he would teach Defense classes under my strict supervision. This did not work out as he was a complete dimwit and knew absolutely nothing about the Dark Arts." McGonagall's eyes twinkled, "He never tried to teach first years unforgiveable curses."

Harry grinned, "That's the Daily Prophet news for you."

"Agreed. Anyways, we are currently looking to fill the position. After talking with the Hogwart's board of education we decided to extend the job opening to you Mr. Potter."

Harry felt the color drain from his face. "Me?"

Professor McGonagall nodded, studying him carefully.

"I can't teach Professor."

"Why is that?"

"I know nothing! I barely finished my seventh year!"

"But you did, and you walked away with all of your N.E.W.T's. Besides that this position isn't being offered to you because of your test scores. This position is being offered to you because of your life experiences."

"So you are giving me a teaching job because I defeated Voldemort?"

"No, we are offering you a teaching position because you have been battling the dark arts for seventeen years and successfully managed to defeat and destroy the darkest wizard of our age and his entire following without ever losing who you are as a person. Harry, this decision was not brought about lightly, I hope you understand. It is not with ease that I hand over an entire subject of my school to an eighteen year old wizard."

Harry stared, open-mouthed at her.

"It's a proposition, and I expect an answer within a week. We will need to fill the position as quickly as possible and if you decline we will need to begin searching for other candidates. Mr. Potter, this would be a year-round position with housing, a yearly salary and benefits. This is what we are prepared to offer," Professor McGonagall handed him a wax-sealed envelope, "Please send word by owl if you intend to accept. You will sign paperwork when you return to Hogwarts."

She stood, following her lead Harry did as well, still unable to speak. She led him to the door and shook his hand. "Safe travels home."

Harry opened the door and went to step on the staircase that was already spiraling down to deliver him safely to the floor below.

"Oh and Mr. Potter. I do hope that emotions and hurt friendships will not affect your ability to see the benefits of taking this position. I look forward to your answer." And with that she shut the door and Harry was left staring at the sealed envelope in his hand.

Harry's feet carried him back to the entrance hall but his mind was elsewhere. He was being offered a position at Hogwarts to teach. To teach his favorite subject. He couldn't teach here, could he? He could barely walk through the front doors without his heart hurting. But then again, would time fix that? Would people respect him? He would only be a year older than the seventh years he would be teaching. As he ran through the possibilities in his mind he hardly noticed running into a small-framed girl at the bottom of the grand staircase.

"Oh sor –" He stopped, straightening up slowly. Ginny.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed. Snatching up the bag Harry had knocked off her shoulder when he collided with her.

"I had a meeting with Professor McGonagall."

Ginny's face softened, he could tell she wanted to ask more.

"She wants to offer me the Defense position."

At this Ginny's face hardened again. "You're saying no, right?"

"Erm, I don't know what I'm going to say yet."

"I thought you had to 'move on', I thought you couldn't stand to be around me and your previous life. You do realize that coming back to Hogwarts would…" Ginny stopped, she let out a small gasp as though just realizing something. "You said that to leave me. Oh, how could I be so stupid?" She tried to push past Harry and he grabbed her elbow.

"Ginny, no. You can't believe that."

She turned back to him, her eyes welled with tears.

"Harry, I've been holding onto anger this whole time because it's the only thing that let me hate you. I had to be able to hate you because if I didn't I would miss you, and if I missed you I would fall apart."

Harry let go of her elbow. "I'm sorry." He muttered, turning to leave. He walked slowly back down the staircase until he couldn't hear Ginny's hurried footsteps anymore. He made his way back to the iron gates without Filch, pushing them open he slipped through a small crack again and with a last longing glance at the castle, he apparated back home to London.


End file.
